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iPhone Air's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

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As it did with the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max, ChargerLAB has tested the iPhone Air's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple chargers.

iPhone-Air-3D-Printed-USB-C-Feature.jpg

In the test, the iPhone Air reached a peak charging speed of around 18W to 19W.

For comparison, ChargerLAB found the standard iPhone 17 reached a peak of 27W to 28W, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max reached a peak of around 36W.


Like the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, Apple says the iPhone Air can be charged up to 50% in 30 minutes with a compatible 20W or higher charger. For comparison, Apple says the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max can charge up to 50% in 20 minutes, so the iPhone Air charges a bit slower. However, slower charging also means less heat will be generated, which is good for long-term battery health.

Article Link: iPhone Air's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/30/iphone-air-usb-c-charging-speeds-tested/
I think most of the members should read the last line of this article. Let that sink in when arguing about wireless charging.
 
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I have one of those Anker chargers with a small LCD screen, and I was surprised at how my Air only would pull about 19W. I guess it makes sense to preserve the life of the battery at all costs.
 
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Charging my 17 Pro with a 65W USB-C charger. The charger doesn’t support this latest profile but the charging speed of the phone is totally fine.
Doesn’t need to max everything out to the fullest.
 
I charge my phone while I sleep so if I could find my old 5w charger I would use that for my Air 😂 slower is usually better for the battery (less heat)
 
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Reeneman said:
Wouldn’t say so. You can do everything wireless.
We will see the day with e-sim only and no ports on a phone.
Click to expand...
Exactly. My sister for example got a 15 Pro last year, she told me she has never ever plugged it in when she asked me to put her phone up for charging while she was busy the other day. I told her I can’t find a cable anywhere (only lightning cables for her son who has an iPhone 13). She then told me to put it on the wireless one that I hadn’t seen initially. When she got out of the bedroom she told me she’d never ever plugged it in. She’s also lucky to have wireless CarPlay.
 
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Mac Fly (film) said:
For what reason?
Click to expand...
One less “weaker point” for water and dust (while the phone is water resistant up to some depth for a certain amount of time, removing the port would only make it reduce risk for damage), for looks, for making more room for battery, while solid it can also get damaged when it’s plugged in and you hit the cable at an angle. If the saved space isn’t filled with more battery it gives more room for other stuff like maybe a speaker at the bottom or other stuff.

Same reasons Apple wanted to get rid of the sim card tray.
 
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BelgianChoklit said:
Exactly. My sister for example got a 15 Pro last year, she told me she has never ever plugged it in when she asked me to put her phone up for charging while she was busy the other day. I told her I can’t find a cable anywhere (only lightning cables for her son who has an iPhone 13). She then told me to put it on the wireless one that I hadn’t seen initially. When she got out of the bedroom she told me she’d never ever plugged it in. She’s also lucky to have wireless CarPlay.
Click to expand...
Dream for me still would be:
- E-sim only (if we got a bigger battery)
- No ports
- No buttons but touch sensitive frame
 
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Reeneman said:
Wouldn’t say so. You can do everything wireless.
We will see the day with e-sim only and no ports on a phone.
Click to expand...
That isn't really true. There are tons of things that will only work, or only with the same level of quality via the port.
 
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Reeneman said:
Wouldn’t say so. You can do everything wireless.
We will see the day with e-sim only and no ports on a phone.
Click to expand...

eSIM is very different to a port

I’m currently using my phone plugged in with a wire. The alternative if that porr wasn’t available would be to have a puck on the back and to charge less efficiently. There is no advantage to going wireless only apart from a potential very marginal battery gain.
 
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MacRumors said:
so the iPhone Air charges a bit slower. However, slower charging also means less heat will be generated, which is good for long-term battery health.​
Click to expand...
That's quite a conclusion. What's more likely is that the iPhone Air gets just as hot as the iPhone 17 Pro does, but at lesser wattage of charge. So the Air charging slower doesn't mean it's any better for the long-term battery health at all.
 
The fastest charger we have in the house is the Apple 18w USB-C anyways. Usually I still use the 5w overnight and 12w while at work.
 
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